🤩 Joao Fonseca shared his goals for next season

"I want to get into the top 15. It's an ambitious goal, but I think big. I also want to become more consistent in results, without sharp ups and downs. In my free time I plan to learn Italian, take a poker course and learn to manage my finances."

The 19-year-old Brazilian currently holds 24th place in the rankings

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

First game day schedule at World Tennis Continental Cup in Shenzhen 🎾

09:00 🇨🇭 Belinda Bencic – 🇨🇳 Wang Xinyu
10:30 🇵🇱 Iga Swiatek – 🇰🇿 Elena Rybakina

📌 Tournament participants:
🇪🇺 Team Europe:
• Belinda Bencic
• Iga Swiatek
• Flavio Cobolli
• Valentin Vacherot

🌍 Team World:
• Elena Rybakina
• Wang Xinyu
• Andrey Rublev
• Zhang Zhizhen

*UTC time

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

Jennifer Brady returns to the tour 😳

The thirty-year-old Australian Open finalist hasn't been on court since 2023, and in February 2024 underwent knee surgery. Now the American is entered in AO qualifying.

Maybe... Naomi Osaka will finally call her Jenny this time? 👀

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

🥹 Andy Roddick wants Andrey Rublev to finally reach a Grand Slam semifinal

I don't see any reason why he can't get back into the top 10 next year. He's capable of showing excellent results. But he has never reached a Grand Slam semifinal, and I wouldn't want that to become the main stamp when summing up his career.

I really want him to finally make that breakthrough and reach a Grand Slam semifinal. Is he emotionally imperfect? Of course. But who is perfect? We all are like that. But he can literally demolish opponents with forehand and backhand shots. Do we want to see a bit of Safin-style madness in him? Absolutely.

Rublev is the only tennis player in history who has lost 10 times in Grand Slam quarterfinals.

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

First results at World Tennis Continental Cup 🎾

🇨🇭 Bencic 4:6 6:2 10:5 🇨🇳 Wang Xinyu
🇵🇱 Swiatek 6:3 6:3 🇰🇿 Rybakina

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

👀 Rafael Nadal on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

I don't identify with either of them: they play differently than I do. I think Carlos improvises a lot: he makes more mistakes, but also wins points more spectacularly. Sometimes he doesn't have a clearly structured game plan, which makes him unpredictable and interesting for the viewer.

Jannik is a more methodical and focused player, with a more clearly defined game model. He adds new elements gradually — that's exactly why he's so consistent and loses very few matches.

Sometimes it seems like Carlos acts carelessly, but if you look at the results — he's had an incredibly even and reliable season at all key tournaments. So I even find it amusing to hear talk about his lack of focus — the numbers say the opposite.

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

❤️‍🩹 Paula Badosa summed up the year

— This year things happened that left a mark on my heart: people who let me down, unfulfilled promises and moments that hurt more than I could have imagined […]

Every fall taught me something, and every disappointment made me stronger. I learned to let go without resentment and be grateful for the good; and most importantly, I understood that the most important thing is to know who you are, stay true to yourself and go through life with a pure heart. This year was not easy, but necessary, and therefore it will forever hold a special place in my life.

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

⚡️ World No. 10 Jack Draper announced that due to a hand injury he will not travel to Australia at the start of the season

Australian Open – out, when he will return to the tour – unknown…

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

Carlos Alcaraz spends his 172nd consecutive week in the ATP Tour top three 🔥

Only nine players before him managed to do this, soon the Spaniard will catch up with Björn Borg:

• Lendl — 465 weeks (1982–1991)
• Federer — 432 (2003–2011)
• Djokovic — 399 (2009–2017)
• Sampras — 391 (1992–1999)
• Connors — 377 (1974–1981)
• McEnroe — 364 (1979–1986)
• Nadal — 243 (2005–2010)
• Edberg — 225 (1989–1993)
• Borg — 192 (1978–1981)

🔝 Carlos spent 51 weeks as world number one

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

Exhibition tournaments continue 🎾

🎄 World Tennis Continental Cup in Shenzhen
Zhang Zhizhen 7:6(5) 6:3 Cobolli
Wang Xinyu 6:2 6:3 Swiatek
Rublev 2:6 7:6(5) 10:7 Vachero
Bencic/Cobolli 6:3 7:6(3) Wang/Zhang

🎄 Tennis Masters in Macau
Wu Yibing 6:4 3:6 10:6 Humbert
Wu Yibing/Davidovich Fokina 7:5 7:6(1) Shang Juncheng/Eala
• Mirra Andreeva couldn't play due to illness

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

Will Novak Djokovic win his 25th Slam in 2026?

Here's what Tennis Channel experts think 👇

Victoria Duval:

Hard to ever count Djokovic out in the race for a 25th Major, but the obstacle in the form of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner is huge, and the window of opportunity for Djokovic is narrowing.

CoCo Vandeweghe:

I don't like betting against the GOAT, but I have to say "no". [...] In 2025 Djokovic reached the semifinals at four Slams and lost three of them in straight sets to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

David Kane:

On one hand, Novak Djokovic will likely have to beat at least Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner — if not both — to win his 25th Grand Slam title. [...] He's already approaching 40, but Djokovic plays best when he feels he has something to prove.

Brett Haber:

No. I say this with all possible respect to the GOAT. [...] At this stage it's hard to imagine he can get through both Sinner and Alcaraz at the decisive stage of a Grand Slam.

Paul Annacone:

The heart says "yes", but the head says "no". It's getting harder and harder. The ageless Novak will have to go through many outstanding players, and I think seven wins in best-of-five format for the 25th title might be an insurmountable task. But betting against him is costly: legends are the exception, not the rule.

What do we think?
👍 — Nole can do it
👎 — Won't happen

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

TODAY'S GAME DAY SCHEDULE 🎾

World Tennis Continental Cup in Shenzhen
02:00 🇲🇨 Valentin Vacherot – 🇨🇳 Zhang Zhizhen
03:30 🇨🇭 Belinda Bencic – 🇰🇿 Elena Rybakina
09:00 🇮🇹 Flavio Cobolli – 🇷🇺 Andrey Rublev
10:30 🇵🇱🇲🇨 Swiatek/Vacherot – 🇰🇿🇷🇺 Rybakina/Rublev

Tennis Masters in Macau
06:30 🇵🇭 Alexandra Eala – 🇷🇺 Mirra Andreeva
08:00 🇨🇳 Shang Juncheng – 🇨🇳 Wu Yibing
09:30 🇪🇸 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina – 🇫🇷 Ugo Humbert

"Battle of the Sexes" in Dubai
16:00 🇧🇾 Aryna Sabalenka – 🇦🇺 Nick Kyrgios

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

WTA #1 and ATP #671 – two weeks before the "Battle of the Sexes"

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

🤭 Nick Kyrgios is confident: one serve in the "Battle of the Sexes" is his main trump card

My coach and best friend and I were making small notes. We tried to adapt to the court dimensions. It will be interesting, I really want to see the court and its dimensions already. The idea of fair court dimensions is excellent, and one serve is an advantage for me. Serving is my strong suit.

📌 Rules:
• Two regular sets, the third is a tiebreak to ten points.
• Each player gets one serve.
• Aryna's side of the court is 9% smaller. Organizers refer to scientific data according to which "women move on average nine percent slower than men."
• One minute timeout for communication with the coach.

Nick Kyrgios appeared for the first time in his career not wearing Nike, Arina – in a sparkling coat 👀

The broadcast reports that all tickets are sold out — 6,000 spectators (the arena holds 17,000)

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

"BATTLE OF THE SEXES"🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️

In Dubai Nick Kyrgios defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6:3 6:3 – in the second set the world number one was leading 3:1

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

Aryna Sabalenka: "I would gladly play again... I would like us to be able to play like this more often during the season."

Nick Kyrgios: "The whole world has been talking about this match for the last six months... This is a step forward for tennis."

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

Aryna Sabalenka:

– I don't understand how people could find something negative in this event... I played great tennis, it was an exciting match, and yes, he won, but not with a score of 6-0 6-0, it was a great fight.

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News

Nick Kyrgios:

– Let me remind you that I'm one of 16 people to ever beat the 'Big Four'... Arina proved that she can step on court and compete with someone who has beaten the greatest players of all time. You can only take positives from that.

Tennis Follower | ATP WTA News